Hannah Ryel is the founder, producer, and co-director of Stage Lights. As a child and teen, she appeared in musicals at various venues around Wichita, including Music Theatre Wichita and Crown Uptown Dinner Theater. Today, she is happily married to Mason (Stage Lights set builder), and she loves being a stay-at-home mom to Liam and Jordan. When she's not busy planning and executing nearly every aspect of the group's summer shows, Hannah enjoys teaching group fitness classes at the Wichita YMCA. She is thankful for the incredibly rewarding opportunity God has given her to build Stage Lights into what is has become: an unforgettable theater experience for everyone involved!

Nineteen-year-old Sarah Grebe attended her first musical when she was just five days old, and has been involved in theatre ever since. For the past 14 years, she has performed in over 25 musicals and now serves as artist director, choreographer, and head of backstage here at Stage Lights. In her free time she enjoys baking, cycling, driving around doing nothing with her bestie Bree and getting snow cones with her boyfriend & best-friend, Daniel. She thanks God for His bountiful blessings and her family and friends for their unending support. (Carrying the Banner; Brooklyn's Here; Once and for All)

This is Nicole’s fourth year working with the amazing performers at Stage Lights! She has been around the world of musical theater off and on since high school. When her daughters started participating in Stagelights, she had the opportunity to starting working with the cast in a musical capacity. A graduate of the music school at Wichita State University, she has taught piano lessons in Wichita for 27 years. Nicole is honored to be working with the cast and is excited to see their talent onstage!

Robert’s first career was musical theater. He danced and sang in regional theaters in the US and overseas, and appeared in film and television in the 1990s. He was one of the gang of newsboys in the original Disney motion picture of Newsies, starring Christian Bale, Robert Duvall and Ann Margret. Robert transitioned into the business of entertainment software and later co-invented a software, Ringorang, that transforms corporate training into habit-formation. In 2021, Robert and his business partner moved their software business to Wichita and built an office at the Garvey Center. Robert is delighted to share what he learned in his early Hollywood experiences with young performers in ICT! (King of New York)

ebeccah is currently a senior Music Education major at Friends University about to enter her student teacher semester. This is her 3rd summer helping assistant direct music for Stage Lights, and has enjoyed performing in 6 previous shows with them as well! Her favorite roles with them have been Eponine in Les Miserables and a Narrator in Joseph. She is very excited to continue her career in both performing and teaching others music, and is grateful to Hannah and Sarah for letting her get experience through helping with this show!

Incoming senior, Anna Luttrell is excited to be taking on a different position in the show. She has danced for 5 years and her time at Midwest Dance Mechanix has grown her passion for performance. She was drawn to Stage Lights in 2020 by the community and authentic performances. It has been a joy and a privilege to choreograph with respectful and talented performers.  In her spare time she enjoys thrifting, singing, being outside with friends, and sipping coffee on rainy days. She first found a love for the stage in Christian Performance Theater (formerly CYT), and she has continued to perform with them for 7 years. She would like to thank her dance teachers for encouraging her and for creating a passion for movement within her. She hopes to ignite a love of dance and performing with all who cross her path. (Don't Come A-Knocking; The World Will Know)

Jason Payne is 21-years-old and is so excited to manage backstage and perform on stage with Stage Lights! Jason has been with Stage Lights for about 5 years now and has loved every show he's been in. He's been helping manage backstage and performing for about 3 years and loves the challenge of performing and managing backstage at the same time! Jason has also worked and performed in a number of shows, some of his favorites are Fiddler on the Roof, Les Miserables, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, and Tuck Everlasting. Jason also plans on attending WSU for technical theater to pursue his dreams of working backstage professionally. One of Jason's favorite memories of managing backstage was during Tuck Everlasting where he had to direct the backstage crew while on Stilts!

Joshua has danced for most of his 18 years of life. He performed with Stage Lights Theatre Company for 4 years. His shows include Beauty and the Beast, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Les Miserables, and Tuck Everlasting. Joshua is an instructor for DANCE! Studio by Sara Rieth and a camp instructor for Conway Springs High School dance team. His favorite dance styles are ballet, jazz and tap. Joshua also has experience in tumbling and acrobatics. He is excited to share his “Seize the Day" choreography for Stage Lights Theater Company.